Face to Face: Shoot the Moon: The Essential CollectionShoot the Moon: The Essential Collection (2005)Antagonist Records

Reviewer Rating: 4.5

User Rating:

Contributed by: AnchorsAnchors(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on February 10th 2006During the 1990s, Face to Face was everything that SoCal punk rock could be. Over It and Big Choice were the absolute embodiment of everything mid-`90s skatepunk strived for: catchy, energetic songs with plenty of drive and rhythm. Singer Trevor Keith's voice is as unmistakable as the band's most we.

During the 1990s, Face to Face was everything that SoCal punk rock could be. Over It and Big Choice were the absolute embodiment of everything mid-`90s skatepunk strived for: catchy, energetic songs with plenty of drive and rhythm. Singer Trevor Keith's voice is as unmistakable as the band's most well known song, "Disconnected," and after playing their last show in 2004, this is just as the album title suggests: the essential collection.

Spanning 21 of the band's best songs during their 14-year career, Shoot the Moon: The Essential Collection takes a little bit of the best from each of the Face to Face albums and throws them all together while managing to concentrate the majority of music where most Face to Face fans would want it: their albums of the 1990s. Those are the albums that were universally loved, that spawned such great songs as "It's Not Over," "You've Done Nothing" and "Velocity."

Keith's honest and thoughtful words hold as much weight as ever, and his voice sounds just as anthemic and just as engaging as it did back when you first heard the band. Their skatepunk sound is one that just gets better and better every time you listen; the tight but powerful rhythms, the gritty vocals, thumping bass, it's here in all its former glory. Unsurprisingly, "Disconnected" starts the album off, proving that it's really a song that's stood the test of time. That thick bass and memorable chorus will never truly be erased from anyone's memory, and as soon as you hear the first 10 seconds, you'll remember just why you loved this band in the first place. Keeping the momentum strong are the speedy, hard-edged riffs in "Don't Turn Away" and the blistering rhythms, quickly delivered vocals, and shouting background gang vocals of "It's Not Over."

Farther into the album is where they integrate the tracks from the less well received How to Ruin Everything, and while the songs do sound decidedly different, they still retain a lot of that same spirit that Face to Face always had. While nowhere near as memorable as those skatepunk classics, what was selected isn't as bad as many make it out to be. Another nice inclusion from the band are three live tracks, "Walk the Walk," "Thick as a Brick," and "Disconnected."

Fitting that the live version of "Disconnected" finishes this retrospective just as it started, more fitting that it was the final song recorded from their final live performance, in their home of Southern California. The amount of energy and conviction put into this song is only challenged by the energy and conviction of every single kid in the audience that night singing along to "you, you don't know what would you would give up, you, you don't know what you would give up, it may take you years to find out." It's the kind of thing that hearing it only makes you wish even more you were in that audience, and that you were one of those lucky kids screaming every word to one of the best punk songs of the `90s.

A common complaint this day and age is that punk rock has lost its spirit. It's around only for the sake of being punk music, not because the musicians have a passion for it. If you're one of the people who find that to be true, buy this album, listen to this album, and remember what it was like when you first really heard the music.

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon
sible for them in any way. Seriously.

Anonymous (February 16, 2006)

Easily one of the most influencial punk bands of the past 13 or so years.

The self titled album is one of the most amazing punk albums ever written. Like many others I really appreciate Ignorance is Bliss now, and I would consider it one of the mose amazing, and complete albums ever written.

I can respect Face To Face's decision not to include material from IiB on this album, but I feel that they are selling that material short. It will be good when IiB is released on the Antagonist label, as it will expose a great number of people to an amazing album.

Full marks for one of the greatest bands in the history of punk music!

Thank you face to face! Love or hate 'em....show some respect. With all influx of [wannabe] punk/emo bands, they are only a few that show some uniqueness and talent. They know who they are...the ones that fake ones.

Anonymous (February 12, 2006)

Big Choice is F2F's best album period. Don't turn away was great, but Big Choice did not have a flawed song.
Kikbawlcoach

Yeah, but they did put out a transition album. It's called "Standards And Practices". And the new influences they found weren't the ones that were making it big in the underground at the time. Ignorance sounded more influenced by bands like Sugar and Jawbreaker than it did by bands like the Smiths (Though they did a killer take of What Difference Does It Make? on there). They even covered INXS non-ironically, which I doubt garnered them any cool points.
The growing omnipresence of emo bands at the time may have influenced them to change their sound, but I don't think the album was bandwagon-jumping. If that was what they wanted to do, they could've done a much better job of it.
Another thing to keep in mind is that people in bands are like everyone else, and they could've seen other bands doing the "introspective shoegazing" press photo and thought "Hey, that looks cool!" just like any local band might do. But I don't think IIB was a calculated move to grab at that audience.

However you feel about Ignorence Is Bliss, I think there's little debate that the album reaked of bandwagon-jumping. This was at a time when the Get Up Kids and the Promise Ring were on the rise, when Vagrant was signing bands like No Motiv (another hardcore band gone emo that Trevor Keith produced), when Jimmy Eat World and At the Drive-In started really getting attention, and everyone was covering the Smiths instead of the Misfits. Ignorence Is Bliss came from a band who had come off releasing a killer studio album (the self-titled CD was much better than "Big Choice) and who covered Social Distortion on their live album. That was a pretty big jump to expect fans to swallow. Even the band photo had all the guys looking at the ground, aping some midwestern high school kids. The least they could have done was give a "transition" album that had something representing the old sound.

That said, I think "Reactionary" killed their credibility far more than "Ignorence" If the band was really following their muse with Igorence, they should have just stuck with it and not listened to all the naysayers.

Anonymous (February 12, 2006)

This is great album and the linear notes are ok. I agree with the ignorance is bliss assment, when I was 21 i bought that album and hated it......I mean really hated it, but a few years later I broke it out again and loved it. I also think that For you, and the whole why aren't you happy ep, is there best work.

Please..................Ramones is emo now is just taking out your ass. Maybe in Brazil but we in America call it pop punk.

Anonymous (February 11, 2006)

RKL.. if u don´t know;... not all love/affection based song is EMO.. so grow up and stop blaming EMO..

RAmones is EMO too now..

Luis form Brasil

Anonymous (February 11, 2006)

Why do people here constantly assume F2f to high school years? like if the lyrics are some blink 182 type?

Those lyrics are so powerfull that NO banda even today can make it.. it´s pernonal struggles, and the greddy talk, and the positive mensage, that for me is much more for today than ever!

Those songs are timeless!

Face to FAce rules so much and stop saing that it´s overrated... it´s simply one one the best that existed! FACT!

first 3 albuns Amazing.. Ignorance is Bliss - Experimental (for those close minded it sucked)

Loved Reactionary and How to ruin Everithing - Have a diferent aproach on the lyrics.

All AROUND good!

It´s just so hard to hear peopel say that they have emo songs! it´s just so stupid, and for the RKL, no I dont have math class, because I´m finishing my masters degree in Urban Planning, And work for the development of third world countries. Guess you not so punk now hum?

i never said the band sold out, but they DID change their style, and when they did they fucking sucked.
sorry for not beign a fanboy, but facts are facts. i dont hate all emo, there are bands that did emo and did itwell.

however, face to face wasnt one of them.

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

A really great band. I remember writing to them to get some stickers in the early 90s and getting a hand-written, two page note thanking me for being a fan in response. This is worth picking up for those who don't have Over It, which is their best release.

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

I hate it when people accuse this band of selling out, or changing their style to sell more records.... If they were looking to cash in so bad, why did they break up when they did? I was on the f2f mailing list and in the email they sent when they broke up they said that they wanted to go out on a high note. I mean seriously, they could have gone the way of green day, blink, nofx, br etc but they got out at the right time in my opinion. Sure How to Ruin Everything isn't their best work, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

LOVED this band. i will pick this up if i can find it used cause i have all the F2F i really need.

they were the first band i saw when i moved back to DC from Texas and was the only show I saw at the old 930.

i missed their last show at the new 930 on their farewell tour cause i totally forgot about it.

one of my all time faves.

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

Score is for this band. Ignorance is Bliss was a monumental album, not fully appreciated until now. The band broke new ground by releasing that album when they did. It's too bad more people didn't appreciate it. I heard a rumor that Antagonist is going to re-release Ignorance is Bliss....

I was all about this band in high school. My old band used to cover Disconnected just in practice, with me on guitar (i'm a drummer) and it was so much fun to play. We still would bust it out now and then even in recent years, cuz it's just such a great song. Big Choice was my fav, which seems like it's no one elses...
-Greg

I used to hate ignorace is bliss when it first came out. I wasn't 'punk enough' for me. Then i busted it out about a year ago thinking 'how can face to face put out such a bad record'.
Truth is Ignorace is Bliss is an amazing album.
Isn't there suppose to be a new Viva Death album soon?

Oh, and if anything they did was money-grabbing, it was Reactionary. While I like the album, it was clearly an attempt to win back fans they turned away with the hard-to-get-into-but-sweet Ignorance Is Bliss.

To rkl (just to clarify since there's so many other conversations here):

They only had one release on Vagrant (other than vinyl releases of almost everything they've done), How To Ruin Everything. I did like it, but you are correct in saying it was somewhat watered down. The first two albums came out on Dr. Strange and Fat. Then, the full-length was on A&M. Then the covers album, Ignorance Is Bliss and Reactionary all came out on Lady Luck. Ignorance Is Bliss was not skate punk, but it never tried to be. It was Smiths-esque rock, and very good.

id like to say i am, but im not.
i really positively absolutely hated the f2f vagrant rls. it just seemed like a money grabbing expenditure, not sounding anything at all like skate-punk. just watered down evian lamity

Also, rkl, if you're not just flamebaiting, you're entirely wrong. Very, VERY few of Face To Face's lyrics are about girls. None even come to mind right now. Also, there have been plenty of bands on Vagrant that aren't whiny. RFTC, Paul Westerberg, The Gotohells, Automatic 7, etc... Face To Face was working with Vagrant back when they were a punk label, so don't let the label fool you. Their lyrics are far more angry, or, if not angry, doubtful and self-examining. Check out "Walk The Walk", "Ordinary", "God Is A Man", "You Could've Had Everything", "Shoot The Moon", "Disconnected" or either of their Jawbreaker covers.

You better listenm to F2F again so you can turn out to be a better person! :)
(1) They had two albums on Vagrant. You dont get to be on Vagrant if you can't whine your way through a record.
(2) Some of their stuff bordered on emo. As I grew older, I was less and less intrigued by songs about girls. Sorry.
(3) Shouldnt you be in math class by now?

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

Great record. I'm actually listening to it right now. Bought it several weeks ago.

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

everything this band ever put out was great

even the covers record

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

" I think Don't Turn Away is overrated, and How To Clean Everything gets a bad rap (though it's not that great). Honestly, while the songs are good, I don't like Reactionary that much, because it was reactionary and kind of lame to revert after a stylistic change didn't work out too well. Big Choice is almost as good as self-titled, but the self-titled album is freaking amazing."

If albums like Ignorance is Bliss don't prove to you that this is sincere and not fake, then I can't help you. The guy has a hard-on for Social D and Jawbreaker.
Also, Paul said my thoughts perfectly. I think Don't Turn Away is overrated, and How To Clean Everything gets a bad rap (though it's not that great). Honestly, while the songs are good, I don't like Reactionary that much, because it was reactionary and kind of lame to revert after a stylistic change didn't work out too well. Big Choice is almost as good as self-titled, but the self-titled album is freaking amazing.

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

the liner notes are great to read
album is nostalgic in a good way

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

i hate greatest hits albums but i highly recommend this for the liner notes and disconnected live.

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

i always thought 'how to ruin everything' was incredibly underrated, and 'don't turn away', like lagwagons 'trashed' was incredibly overrated. also, i'm 25, so dont write my opinion off like i'm some kid who got into them on how to ruin everything.

the s/t is their best album though.

paul

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

How could F2F be whinny?? shut the fuck up!

Those are probably the best lyrics in punk!

You better listenm to F2F again so you can turn out to be a better person! :)

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

i always thought this band should have stuck to the big hair and spandex. same with goldfinger. bunch of fucking fakes.

I remember when Face to Face came out with an amazing album on Dr. Strange. Then they got signed to Fat, toured with NOFX and then signed to major all within a year. I thought they were going to be the biggest band ever. I used to find it hard to get over Trevor's metal roots, but then I grew up. What I respect most about Trevor is that when asked why he doesn't swear in songs, he said something to the effect of "it's too easy - it's more challenging to write insightful lyrics without the cliche cop-out of swearing". I never even noticed that he didn't swear but when I read that it made me appreciate his lyrics even more.

Definitely one of my all time favorite punk bands and quite possibly #1

The liner notes are supposed to be extensive. Does anyone have it and think it's worth buying for that reason? I thought the liner notes in the live CD were good and the ones for this probably dwarf it...

"I was going to see them on the 1st date of their farewell tour. Then Hurricane Charley came on by messing things up. They rescheduled it and I traded in my ticket. But then out of nowhere, without any explination it got cancelled. I sat there wondering why. Maybe they got tired of touring and finished early. But to this day I still wonder. Why Face to Face?"

A second hurricane was coming through at the time of the rescheduled date, that's why they had to cancel it again. Now you know!

i was a face to face junkie in hs, but as i got older it started getting a bit whiny(for my tastes, at least).
score is for the vagrant years, god those were horrible albums.

Anonymous (February 10, 2006)

"Somewhere between indie and emo"

which is why ignorance is bliss is an amazing record. Their was no audience for that record. It was amazing people started yelling sellout for a record that could never have been sold to a mass audience.

I think that LP plus the b-side EP that came with it are the best things they did. There is so much on that record in terms of layers, and background parts, besides the overall creepy mood of the whole thing. The tones, the plain chaos, and disharmony along with those clean tones, the pop melodies next to that eery sense of loss and confinement. No emo record would be that loud, and no indie record would be that loud AND clean.

The last good song they wrote was "For you", one of the disappointed b-sides that never got properly released.

Didn't bother much with the last one, they lost focus, purpose.

Ignorance is bliss is like screeching weasel's emo, as one razorcake reviewer said, it might not be a record you are in a place to appreciate right now, but you can be glad that one day if and when your life gets there, the record will be there.

oh, as a collection cd, this release is very weak. No real reason to own this, and if you don't own any of them, your really better off getting one of the records.

Face To Face is a good example of a band that started out by latching onto style (nothing wrong with that) then hit the wall when they tried to change and really make some kind of artistic "statement". They made three really good melodic punk albums (well, Big Choice was just kind of ok), then brilliantly capped off the era with a live record. Then what? Unfortunately, that was "Ignorence is Bliss", which sucked ass. Somewhere between indie and emo, it seemed way too fake and contrived (I saw one of their "small" shows before that album came out and they looked so awful). They limped on for two more albums when they should have just died then and there. Thank god they finally called it quits. In a weird way, I have more respect for them than their peers like Guttermouth, Pennywise, or the Offspring. They tried something different, failed, and later had the good sense to quit. I'll spin "Don't Turn Away" tomorrow.

im going to be honest, i didnt really read the review because i already know about face to face, but someone tell me... Is this a dvd or cd? and if its only a cd when are they coming out with the dvd they promised a year and some time ago?

I was going to see them on the 1st date of their farewell tour. Then Hurricane Charley came on by messing things up. They rescheduled it and I traded in my ticket. But then out of nowhere, without any explination it got cancelled. I sat there wondering why. Maybe they got tired of touring and finished early. But to this day I still wonder. Why Face to Face?

"I always thought this was one of the weakest and most overrated 90's skate punk band around."

Then you need to pick up a copy of the self-titled album. I have different reasons for liking almost everything this band put out, but the bass and drums alone on that album show why this band was a force to be reckoned with.